You guys. You know what cures any achy breaky heart? Nope. It isn’t that BRC person you’re thinking of. Stop that. No, it’s a B-A-B-Y.

Or maybe it’s the baby’s mom. I don’t know for sure, but here’s what I do know. My former co-worker and near daughter Gretchen makes beautiful children. There is no doubt because there are now four of them. All beautiful. But baby number four was the perfect exclamation point to the family … he’s a ‘he’! Poor John. He had the proposition of having FIVE (f-i-v-e) women in his house. Thankfully, they were surprised this year on Mother’s Day (exactly at midnight) with a (of course) beautiful little boy they’ve named Abel John. He’s so perfect.

Before I share the photos Gretchen was kind enough to ask me to take, I have to say something about this treasured human I get to call friend. This young lady makes me feel like a proud parent every time I get the chance to see her. Because we started working together when she was just a young thing, I’ve watched her grow up (essentially). I always knew there was something special about her but let me just say that I see a little Jesus in her. She won’t believe me, but it’s true.

I had the opportunity to be a part of her world when she got engaged, my sister and I were honored to shoot her wedding, watched her welcome her first, second and third little girls (not literally, geez) and move into this amazing old brick farmhouse that she and John have nearly rebuilt from the studs into their family’s home. And as time has progressed and she’s grown her little family, she just seems to find new capacity for love that is so obvious and pure. I watch her admire her children and chuckle at her husband and tear up when her baby snoozes on her arm. I can’t explain it well. Just believe me. She’s ‘a special.’ And I couldn’t be happier for her. Like, I really couldn’t. She deserves all of it. She’s got a heart of gold and I just get all choked up thinking of what a good friend she is to me. Ok, ok, let’s stop that and look at some of these beautiful people!